Good OldFashioned Fun
by karly05
Summary: Ferb wants to build an Amusement Park.  Haven't the boys 'been there, done that?  Not like this!  This could possibly be Ferb's Best Day Ever.  Eventual Ferbnessa, and my first crack at Phinabella. Fluffier than Cotton Candy on a Stick!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: My first multi-parter, and my first attempt at a lot of familiar characters. It started out as an excuse for some Ferb/Vanessa Fluff, and just snowballed from there. All the characters belong to Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh.**

**If you don't know what a steeplechase ride is, do a search for Blackpool Steeplechase and you'll see. I've never seen or been on one, but I thought it looked neat.**

Good Old Fashioned Fun

The summer day promised to be a splendid one, all blue skies and puffy white clouds, surprisingly not too hot for so late in the season. It was a day made to be seized. Ferb sat in the shade of the big tree in the back yard, a large scrapbook open in his lap. He was alone, and happy to find himself so. Beating his brother to the tree in the morning only ever meant one thing: Phineas had not yet decided what they were going to do today. Ferb turned another page of his scrapbook and thought: _This __could __possibly __be __the __best __day __ever_.

Phineas walked out of the house, crossed the yard, and plopped down in the grass beside him. Ferb could tell by the pensive, slightly frustrated look on his face that he was open to suggestions.

"Hey, Ferb. What-cha doin'?"

Ferb held back a dry smile. It always amused him when Phineas mimicked Isabella's favorite phrase, especially since he was fairly certain Phineas was doing it subconsciously. He slid the scrapbook toward his brother, so it was balanced, half-and-half, on their neighboring knees, and showed him what he had been looking at. The pages were covered with old, black and white photographs of a couple of teenagers: a small, charmingly rounded girl, and a slim, square-nosed young chap.

"Is that Grandma and Grandpa Fletcher?" Phineas marveled. "Wow, they were so young! They sure look like they're having fun." The snapshots showed the couple riding a carousel, posing for pictures behind amusing wooden cutouts, holding hands in front of a lighted sign. "Sniffleton Pleasure Gardens," Phineas read aloud the gleaming words above them. "Well, it certainly _looks_ pleasant."

"It was quite the spot in its day," Ferb spoke. "They took me once, when I was three, but by then it was a mere shadow of its former glory." He turned the page to reveal a photo of his tiny self, all big eyes and big smile, perched on a scarred and faded carousel horse. "What I wouldn't give to have seen it in its heyday." He gave Phineas a moment for the wave of inspiration to catch him up, but it was obvious that Ferb was going to have to take care of this one himself. "Phineas – I know what we're going to do today."

"Uh, Ferb, I thought we decided, no more time travel," Phineas reminded him. "Going back in history could have consequences."

"We're not going back in history," Ferb corrected him. "We're bringing history to us."

Phineas was even more surprised by this idea. "You mean, build an amusement park? Haven't we kinda 'been there, done that'? I mean, we've already built the Coolest Coaster Ever, twice, not to mention the giant Ferris Wheel, and the Mix 'n' Mingler, and that thing Candace made us build so we could sit there and watch it. The springy suction-cup probably counts, too. It just seems to me that we've already covered the whole amusement park thing this summer."

Ferb was sketching away furiously on his drawing pad. "It's not an amusement park, it's a Pleasure Garden."

Phineas looked over his brother's shoulder. "Carousel? Spinning Cups? Airplane Ride?" He couldn't quite wrap his mind around what he was seeing. "Isn't this kind of – _tame_ for us?"

"Yes. Yes, it is," said Ferb, brain working faster than he could move the pencil.

"Oh, I get it!" Phineas exclaimed, finally making sense of the idea. "We start with the basics, then trick it out! Spinning cups that move in three dimensions. Jet propelled airplane ride with laser target-shooting. Cool idea, Ferb!"

"Actually…"

"Hey," Phineas's eyes lit up, "maybe we could combine the carousel with a roller coaster!"

In answer to this, Ferb pointed out a photo in the scrapbook, of his grandparents riding a painted pony along a curving rail, with two other ponies on parallel rails in hot pursuit.

"Steeplechase Ride," Phineas read the caption. "Well, that has potential."

Ferb looked at him. "All summer, we've challenged the laws of physics. We've conquered gravity, time, and space. And it's been magnificent. But, I'm ready to try some good, old-fashioned fun. May I count you in?"

Phineas grinned. "Ferb, I know what we're – oh, wait, you already said that. Hey," he glanced around. "Where's Pe— "

"KrKrKrKrKr," Perry's familiar chatter came from behind the tree, and Phineas looked back and spotted him.

"Oh. Never mind. Well, Ferb, it looks like this is a good day to change things up. All right, then, let's go Old School!"

They were already making a fair amount of progress when a familiar pink figure came through the gate. "Hi, Phineas. What-cha doin'?"

"We're building a Pleasure Garden," he informed her happily, fastening a propeller onto the nose of a small, blue airplane for the ride he was constructing.

"Oooh, that sounds romantic," Isabella clasped her hands in front of her.

"No, it's just an old-fashioned way of saying Amusement Park. Hey, Ferb, toss me that blow torch, will you?"

"Amusement Park?" Isabella looked surprised, and a bit disappointed. "Haven't you kinda 'been there, done that'?"

"Not like this," Phineas assured her. "We're going Old School. Check it out!"

Ferb was working on the platform for the Spinning Cups, and pointed his wrench at his sketchbook of plans lying nearby on the ground. Isabella picked it up and, sitting on the edge of the platform, thumbed through the drawings. "Neat! Oh, there you are, Perry," she said, as the platypus appeared at her feet. "Wow, it's kind of early in the day for Perry to come home, isn't it?"

"He never left," Phineas noted. "I guess he's decided to change things up today, too."

"Do you need any help from the Fireside Girls?" Isabella asked. "I'm sure there are some Ride Operating patches we could earn."

"Thanks, Isabella, but we don't need staff. The whole park is automated, rides, concessions, everything; it all runs off a computer. Yeah, I know, _that_ part's not Old School, but Ferb and I want to have fun, too. Well, there's one plane down – or should I say, up?" he beamed, wiping his hands. "Five more to go. Hey, Ferb," Phineas paused to consider the work he had just completed, "what if we tricked out the airplanes, just a little bit? Do the target-shooting thing, just not with lasers. Maybe air guns, and a mechanical scorekeeping system in each plane." Once Phineas started brainstorming, there was no stopping him. "We'd need a projectile that wouldn't hurt anyone. I could see Buford being more interested in shooting at the rest of us than at the targets," he chuckled and winced simultaneously. "Maybe some kind of air-bullet in a bubble, or something. We could still be _kind __of_ Old School, but more fun than just flying in a circle. What do you say?"

Ferb gave his brother an approving thumbs up, and Phineas eagerly went to work on his new project.

Once Phineas was out of earshot, Isabella said, "Um, Ferb?" When he looked at her, she smiled at him. "These plans look great. But I think you're missing one thing. Pencil, please?" she requested, and he handed her the one behind his ear. Isabella had flipped to a blank page, and now quickly sketched out her vision for another ride. When she glanced up at Ferb, who was leaning over her shoulder, she found him studying her drawings with a wryly twisted mouth, and one raised eyebrow.

Isabella giggled. "Well, you can't blame a girl for trying. Come on," she begged, in a near-whisper. "It would be a great addition. Please?" Perry chattered, as if casting his vote with her. "See, Perry likes the idea. You can put a flume drop at the end, if that helps," she offered.

"It doesn't need a flume drop," said Ferb, taking the sketchbook from her. _Although __it __could __stand __a __lot __less __pink_, he thought. Isabella was practically batting her eyes at him, and he had to admit, they ought to have _some_ sort of boat ride. Giving in, he gave her a nod.

"Thanks, Ferb," she beamed. "Oh, and don't tell Phineas it was my idea, okay?" With that, Isabella skipped off to see how the Airplane Ride was coming along.

And at this point, at last, it fell to Ferb to ponder in silence, _Hm. __Where__'__s __Perry?_

To Be Continued…


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N – Many Thanks to my readers who have already reviewed/favorited/subscribed! Although I've tried to stay in character and logical to the series, this isn't structured as an episode. For one thing, this is all we're going to see of Doof – although he is here for a reason.**

PART 2

At home in his penthouse lair, Heinz Doofenshmirtz was pouring himself a cup of tea when the doorbell buzzed.

"Ugh, who could be bothering me today? It had better not be those pesky Fireside Girls with their cupcakes again," he grumbled.

_Bzzzt. __Bzzzt. __Bzzzt._

"Oh, for crying out loud, keep your pants on, I'm coming!" He opened the door to find his visitor already pantless. Devoid of all clothing, in fact, except for his trademark fedora. "Perry the Platypus? What are you doing here? You can tell Monobrow I'm not up to anything today," he informed his nemesis.

Perry hardly glanced at him, but came straight into the apartment. On full Secret Agent alert, his eyes darted around the room, clearly on the lookout for… something. In his hand, he held a small, purple envelope.

"Oh, for me?" Doofenshmirtz reached for the envelope, but Perry snatched it away, tucking it safely under his hat. "No need to get grabby, Perry the Platypus. Hey, where are you going?"

Perry dashed toward the kitchen, flattening himself against the wall just outside the doorway, and peeking around the corner.

"If you're expecting a trap, you can relax. I told you, nothing to see here today. I was just sitting down for a cup of tea and some cucumber sandwiches," Doofenshmirtz noted, pointing at the tray beside his armchair. "I don't know why, but I'm feeling kind of – como se dice – _Old __School_. Perry the Platypus, stand still!"

Puzzled, he watched his nemesis zip into the hallway that led to the bath and bedrooms. Again, Perry was on edge, moving swiftly and silently, intent on avoiding detection by… what? Finding nothing there, he came back out and pondered his position for a moment before heading toward the balcony.

"What is this, a building inspection?" Doofenshmirtz shadowed him, annoyed by this behavior. "Seriously, if I was going to trap you, I would have done it by now!"

Along the way, Perry walked past a heap of disassembled machinery, and cast a brief glance at it before proceeding outside.

"Oh, that," said Doofenshmirtz, still trailing him. "Yes, it's a new Inator, although I don't know if I can call it that yet; so far, it's just a pile of junk. I'm still in the 'rough draft' stages on this one. I'm thinking of calling it the Kinkinator. It makes your hair all kinky and frizzy, you know, like a clown, or a – a Pomeranian. And once I unleash it, then everyone will have to buy my Doofenshmirtz Brand Hair Care Products, or it will mean a never-ending Bad Hair Day for the entire TRI-STATE AREA!"

As Perry came back inside, he shot the man a glare and rolled his eyes.

"I know, I know, it's not one of my better schemes. I told you, it's still a rough draft. I'm working out the kinks. Oh!" Doofenshmirtz was struck by his own words. "Hah! Perry the Platypus, did you hear that? I'm _working __out __the __kinks_. On the Kinkinator. Baaa-haa-haa-haa-haaaa!" the Evil Scientist crowed with laughter at his own joke. "Ghee-hee-hee-hee-hee-Ghaa-ha-ha-ha-haaah!"

Perry cringed, covering his ears at the rasping cackle.

"Oh, sometimes I surprise even myself," Heinz gasped, eyes watering, as he emitted a few last snickers. "Wait!" Perry was back at the door, with his hand on the knob. "You're leaving? I haven't told you the evil backstory behind this one. Why did you even come over here if-?"

With a tip of his fedora, Perry left, closing the door behind him.

Doofenshmirtz stood where he was, silent for a moment. "Well, _that_ was weird."

lllllllllllll

"Well, Ferb," Phineas and his brother stood side by side, surrounded by their friends from all over the neighborhood, "I have to hand it to you. This was a brilliant idea!"

Their Pleasure Garden was complete. The band organ from the Carousel filled the air with music, and swags of colored lights and flags decorated everything. The Airplane Ride stood as a centerpiece, with six brightly colored planes that not only could be made to move up and down, but could tilt and pivot on their mechanical arms, allowing their pilots to fire air-bullets from an air-gun at a variety of moving targets. The Spinning Cups were painted in authentic English china patterns, a little tribute by Ferb to his tea-loving grandmother. There was a small Fun House with slides and mirrors and moving floors, several carnival cutouts for taking funny photos, and a Refreshment Pavilion. Above and around all these amusements ran the parallel red, green and yellow rails of the Steeplechase Ride. And, rising beyond the perimeter of the Steeplechase was one more structure that Phineas didn't remember from the original plans.

The façade was painted with unicorns and rainbows, and the entrance formed a subtle heart shape. Dainty swan boats floated in a canal that snaked into and back out of the enclosed ride. Ferb had tried to tone down Isabella's designs without completely rejecting them, but not even Phineas could miss the point. "We have a Tunnel of Love? Where did that come from?"

"Technically," said Ferb, "it's the Enchanted Glade." The name had been his idea. Not only had he felt Isabella was being a bit too obvious, he was concerned that the words "Tunnel of Love" would be off-putting to most of their peers, and too much work had gone into the ride for it to sit neglected.

Chuckling a little, Phineas cast a sidelong glance at his brother. "Ferb, you sly dog!"

Ferb felt his cheeks burning, but said nothing in response. He was, after all, a man of integrity, and Isabella's secret would remain safe with him.

"Well, come on, everybody," Phineas called out. "Who wants the first ride on the Airplanes?"

lllllllllllllllll

Up in the gabled window overlooking the back yard stood a teenage girl with straight black hair and a bow on her head.

"Candace, you have got to see what Phineas and Ferb have done!" Stacy gushed.

Candace sat on her bed, legs folded, eyes closed, hands over her ears – for all the good that was doing. "No, Stacy, I don't want to hear about it! Jeremy's coming to take me to the movies, and I do NOT have time to bust my brothers today." She could hold her silence for only a few seconds, however, before one eye peeked open and she said, "Why? What have they done?"

"They've built an Amusement Park in your back yard!" Stacy exclaimed with delight.

Candace opened both eyes and uncovered her ears. Surely she must have heard wrong. "An Amusement Park? Haven't they kinda 'been there, done that'?"

"No!" Stacy insisted. "It's adorable! There's a Fun House, and one of those spinny tea cup rides, and-"

"Spinny tea cup rides?" This finally brought Candace to her feet. "Isn't that kind of – _tame_ for them?" She looked down on the back yard, where the park was in full swing. "Okay, I get it. Any minute now, those little Airplanes are going to come off their arms and sprout jet engines, and go zooming into Outer Space. And that Fun House is going to grow twenty stories tall and a big, twisty slide is going to pop out of it! Wait and see. Ooo, they are gonna be sooo busted!"

"I thought you didn't have time to bust them today," Stacy reminded her.

Candace glanced at her alarm clock. "Well, the movie's not till two…"

"Oh, look!" Stacy squealed. "They've got a roller coaster with _horses!_ Candace," she grabbed her friend by the shoulders. "We have to go down there!"

"Well, OK, but I have to call Mom first," Candace flipped out her cell phone.

Stacy snatched the phone from her. "No! You are NOT going to bust your brothers today, Candace Flynn. You and I are going out to your back yard and we are going to have FUN! You missed the Miniature Golf Course, and that was the most awesome thing ever – until now. Come with me, Candace," she insisted. "For once in your life, let yourself be Seduced by the Coolness!"

"Well…" Candace hesitated.

Someone in the yard caught Stacy's eye. "Oh, look, there's Jeremy."

It was true; Jeremy was in the back yard, talking with Phineas and laughing. And then, Candace noticed something she hadn't before. Swan Boats in a canal, gliding toward a heart-shaped entrance, with the words _Enchanted Glade_ painted above. Her eyes lit up, and, with a glowing smile, she breathed, "Come on, Stacy! It's time to seize the day!"

They found Jeremy waiting for his turn on the Spinning Cups. "Hey, gals," he saw them approach. "I figured you'd be out here where all the fun is. Your brothers have done some pretty cool stuff in your yard," he noted to Candace, "but this has got to be one of their best yet. Candace," he ventured, "I know we were going to the movie, but… Would you mind if we just hang out here today? We can catch the movie tomorrow."

"I would love to hang out here," Candace grinned goofily at him. "And, maybe after the tea cups, we can check out that little boat ride?" she hinted.

"Sure," Jeremy agreed blithely; Candace suspected he hadn't yet noticed the 'little boat ride' and didn't fully grasp what it was. "Besides," he said, "we never did get to rent that boat in the park, so I kinda owe you one."

Giggling, Candace glanced back at Stacy, who gave her a thumbs up.

"Hey, Stacy," Jeremy gestured at the Spinning Cups. "Coming with?"

"Oh, no," she declined graciously, backing away. "Motion sickness," she patted her stomach. "Bleah!"

"Okay," said Jeremy, taking Candace's hand as they stepped up onto the platform. "Catch you later."

Stacy watched them go, then turned around and hurried off in search of someone else. She spotted his pointy red head coming her way, and ran to him. "Phineas!"

"Oh, hey, Stacy," he greeted her. "Where's Candace? I really wanted her to see this. Oh, and Jeremy's looking for her."

"They're on the tea cups," she brushed this off. "Phineas, how do I get on the horsie ride!"

To Be Continued…


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N - Part 3! Now that the set-ups are in place, here we go... **

Ferb could not have been more pleased with how his idea had turned out. He only wished Gran and Gramps could have seen it; they would have been delighted. Oh, he enjoyed high-tech inventions and extreme rides as much as anyone, but sometimes it was nice to slow down and savor the simple pleasures, to feel the innocent joy of a child again. And obviously he wasn't the only one who felt that way, judging by the happy, laughing faces everywhere he looked. Yes, he thought, this day could not possibly be any better.

He was wrong.

"Ferb!" he heard Phineas calling to him. "Look who's here!"

The girl in black, with the coffee-colored hair – how could it be that, every single time he saw her, he felt that same rush? Would it always be that way? How lovely if it could…

"You remember Vanessa?" Phineas said. _What __a __ridiculous __question,_ thought Ferb, then he realized that his brother hadn't actually been involved in most of their encounters.

"Hey, Ferb." She gave him that usual, smoky, vaguely-amused look. "How's it going?"

"I told her this was all your idea," Phineas was rattling on. "Why don't you give her the grand tour?"

The next thing Ferb knew, his brother had vanished. Vanessa looked around her, as if she wasn't quite sure what to make of the place, and said, "So, this is… cute." She started to stroll past the Airplane Ride and, as Ferb fell into step beside her, she remarked, "But – aren't you a little old for this?"

"No. No, I'm not." He felt half-defiant, and half-regretful. Vanessa was so much older than he was, and, as much as he usually admired her cool demeanor, he had to admit that this quaint little dreamland of his was almost certainly not her cup of tea.

All she said in response, however, was, "Okay." As they neared the Fun House, shrieks and squeals of laughter could be heard from inside. Vanessa looked toward the source of the sound, and Ferb could have sworn he saw a flash of dread in her eyes as she gave the colorful building a wide berth.

"How did you happen to come here?" he found the nerve to ask. She had never been around for any of their back yard adventures before – well, reportedly, she had been on their S'Winter ski slope, but Ferb hadn't yet met her at that point, and he was certain he never saw her that day. He would have remembered.

"How do you think?" She seemed surprised by the question. "I got your invitation." Vanessa's hand strayed to her pocket, and Ferb caught a glimpse of something purple. "Pretty creative, shooting it at my window on a suction cup. You do know how to make an impression."

Ferb knew nothing of invitations or suction cups, but refrained from questioning her about it. Perhaps Phineas was behind it; in Paris, he had seemed to notice the chemistry between them. At the same time, it was rather out of character for a boy who couldn't even recognize that the girl across the street had a crush on him.

Now they were approaching the Carousel, and Vanessa paused and stared up at it. Ferb observed her as she took in the lights and music and colors, still trying to read her pensive expression. "I haven't been this close to one of these since I was, like, seven," she murmured. They were both silent for a moment, his eyes on her, her eyes on the circling horses, then all of a sudden, she turned to meet his gaze. The smile that blossomed on her lips was the sweetest thing Ferb had ever seen. "Can we go for a ride?"

As the turning platform slowed to a crawl, Ferb extended a hand to help her up, but she was way ahead of him, leaping lightly onto the boards and weaving her way between the horses. She stopped at a silver-gray steed with a black mane and violet trappings, and swung herself up into the saddle. Looking back at him, she motioned, "Come on, Ferb!" and he mounted the cream colored pony beside her. Off they went, rising and falling in time to the band organ; he was still delighted, and more than a little surprised, that they had managed to convert_ Gitchee Gitchee Goo _into a waltz tempo. When the ride ended, and they had both stepped down from the platform, Vanessa turned to him eagerly. "What next?"

"If you liked the Carousel," he proposed, "you'll love the Steeplechase."

"You mean the coaster?" Vanessa looked up at the three rails of track overhead, as first Stacy, then Phineas, then Adyson and Katie, sharing a horse, came racing around the turn and glided past, whooping and shouting to each other. "M-maybe we should save that one for a while. Let's check out the Airplanes," she suggested instead.

llllllllllllllll

Together, Phineas and Stacy came down the stairs from the Steeplechase loading station. "Phineas, this is sooo awesome!" the teenage girl had yet to stop gushing. "It's even better than Miniature Golf, and I didn't think anything could top that!"

"And you've hardly scratched the surface," Phineas replied. "I mean, there _is_ more to do here than ride the Steeplechase over and over," he teased her. "What was that, about your seventh time?"

"Ninth," she corrected. "Three Wins, Five Places, One Show. I think the red rail is faster."

"Technically, they're all the same," Phineas informed her. "Where you finish is mostly just a matter of random luck."

"Then red must be my lucky color!" Stacy decided.

Phineas took her arm to steer her away from the ponies, and suggested, "Let's go try out the Fun House, or…"

"Or the Spinny Tea Cups!" Stacy exclaimed, pointing at the whirling platter of giant china. "Come on!"

"Okay," Phineas seized this idea, "Spinny Tea Cups are good."

He nearly lost his footing as she dragged him along, but it was nice to see his sister's best friend having so much fun. "Wait," he realized, "Candace said you have motion sickness."

"Oh, that was just so she and Jeremy could be alone. And mostly so I could go ride the horses," she confessed, with a big grin. "But now I'm ready. Tea Cups, ahoy!"

"Hey, Phineas." A black-haired figure in pink materialized at his other elbow.

"Oh, hi, Isabella. Enjoying the park?" he asked, then corrected himself. "Excuse me, the _Pleasure __Garden?_"

"More or less," Isabella said, with a slightly irritated little sigh. "I was hoping you and I could go on a ride together," she hinted.

"Sure!" he enthused. "Stacy and I were just going to the Tea Cups. Come with us!"

"Yeah," Stacy chimed in. "The more hands we have, the faster we can spin!"

Isabella was just about to say that the Tea Cups weren't exactly what she'd had in mind, when Phineas reached out and took her by the hand. Suddenly, the Tea Cups sounded divine. As they waited their turn, Phineas turned to Isabella and asked, "Which cup should we take? Wedgwood? Royal Doulton?" Isabella considered for a moment, then pointed out a pink and white one with pastel flowers. "Spode it is, ladies," Phineas agreed. "Come on."

Stacy was right; six hands made the cup spin wildly, and they were soon breathless with exhiliration. Isabella didn't mind one bit that her hands kept getting tangled with Phineas's, or that he kept sliding against her. Phineas knew about how long the ride lasted, and, as they neared the end of the cycle, he shouted, "Hands in the air!" Letting go of the wheel, all three of them raised their arms and let off a chorus of "Whoooo!" "Yeah!" "Wheeee!" as their cup spun to a halt. They staggered off the ride, giddy and grinning, and when Phineas stumbled a bit coming down the steps, Isabella quickly grabbed him, one arm around his waist, her free hand cupping his elbow. It was the way all Fireside Girls were trained to assist a potential fainting victim.

"Whoa, thanks, Isabella," he said, and she beamed.

"No problem."

Catching her breath, Stacy told them, "I'm going to grab a lemonade and see if I can find Candace and Jeremy. Thanks, Phineas; that was fun."

"Go check out the boat ride," Phineas advised. "That's where they were headed the last time I saw them."

Stacy waved and walked off toward the entrance to the Enchanted Glade, which was visible from where they stood. Isabella and Phineas stayed as they were for a moment before he said, with an awkward chuckle, "OK, I think I can stand up on my own now." Reluctantly, she let go of him, but was rewarded with one of those adorable Phineas smiles.

"Um, Phineas, about the boat ride…" she began.

Before she could get any further, Gretchen and Django came upon them, walking from the direction of the canal. Isabella noticed at once that they were holding hands. As they strolled past, Gretchen said, "The Enchanted Glade is really nice, Phineas."

"Yeah, really nice," Django echoed, with a goofy smile on his face. He looked at Gretchen. "You want to go get a soda?"

She giggled a bit as she answered, "I would love to."

Isabella watched them go, and sighed. At least someone was getting to enjoy her ride. "Phineas…" she tried again.

"You know," he interrupted her, "I could use a soda, too. Want to come with me?" he invited.

What else could she say but, "Sure."

To Be Continued…


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N – Part 4! This one's a little longer, but once I put Ferb and Vanessa on the Airplane Ride, the whole scene just took off (pun intended). I hope all the staging is clear and plays as I envisioned it.**

**I hope the Phinabella stuff plays satisfactorily – they are the "B" plot, and I'm not doing any big life-changing revelations with them, just having some fun with their relationship in keeping with the series.**

**And yes, that was a little dash of Gretchen/Django, and it's there for a reason. I respect the right of other authors to write whatever pairings they like, but in my take on the P&F-verse, there is no such thing as Ferb/Gretchen, either mutual or one-sided in either direction. I like Gretchen, though, and frankly, I find the concept of "Brainy Girl/Artsy Guy" appealing.**

**I can now say with confidence that this will end up being 7 Chapters.**

**Now, back to our story!**

Ferb and Vanessa were standing in line for the Airplanes, as he explained to her how they worked. "The foot pedal controls your altitude. Press down to lift the plane, let up to descend. The joystick controls your pitch and direction. Use the air gun to shoot at the targets. The reels in the cockpit show your score."

"How did you come up with this?" she marveled, watching the current flight of planes as they circled the tower in a counter-clockwise rotation.

"Well, the Airplane Ride was mostly Phineas's doing. He came up with the target-shooting idea, and the controls."

"No," she clarified, "I meant – what made you think of building all of this?" Her gesture encompassed the entire park.

"It was inspired by the Sniffleton Pleasure Gardens, in England. My grandparents used to go there as teenagers."

"Pleasure Gardens," Vanessa repeated the unfamiliar phrase, and nodded as she looked around. "I like that."

Ferb liked hearing her say it. Perhaps a little too much.

The squadron came in to land, as the pilots variously remarked, "Aw, man…" or "Woo-hoo!" or "Take that, Loser!" depending on their scores, and climbed out of their cockpits to make way for the new crew. Ferb stepped aside to allow Vanessa to board first, and followed her as she claimed the green plane. He took the yellow plane behind her, and off they went. Vanessa must have tromped on the pedal a little harder than intended, because she let out a "Whoa!" as her plane shot skyward. Jerking her foot off the pedal sent her plummeting downward. "Ow!" she exclaimed, as the arm hit its lowest position and the plane bounced slightly. Ferb knew it was impossible for her to have been hurt, but he still winced a bit.

"Gently!" he called out to her, as she started to rise again. She tried to turn herself to take aim at the targets on the central tower, and the next thing he knew, she was facing him, flying backwards. He saw her brow knit in frustration for only a moment, before she pulled at the joystick and went spinning in the opposite direction. The plane rotated a full 630 degrees clockwise before she stopped it, now facing away from the tower, nose pointed downward. She was descending toward the ground again, and corrected this with another overly-forceful foot to the floor, which shot her to the upper limit of the arm and jolted a scream out of her. Gripping the joystick in her right hand and the air gun in her left, she wrestled the plane back around to face the tower, setting off a barrage of rapid _pingpingping_s as she fired wildly, hitting targets at random.

Ferb wasn't even trying to shoot; all he could do was watch Vanessa, until the absurdity of this cool, capable young woman struggling to control a simple kiddie ride overcame him, and he felt, with dread, the force of his own laughter welling up inside him. He held it down as best he could, lips clamped tightly together, but it escaped him in bits, as a snort, then a snicker. Then Vanessa was facing him again, and their eyes met, and he could no longer help himself. His clenched mouth curled upward in a smile. Her eyes went wide, and he knew that she knew that he was laughing at her, then she jerked the stick again and pivoted away from him.

The ride mechanism exhaled, and all the planes turned themselves to face forward as they descended gently to the ground. Ferb leapt from his cockpit before the ride had fully stopped, and dashed to her plane.

"Vanessa, I'm sorry," he sputtered, still choking back his laughter. "Perhaps riding the Airplanes wasn't such a good idea…"

"Come on, Ferb," she refused to look at him as she climbed out of the ride. Then, through gritted teeth, she declared: "We're doing that again."

"There's no need – " he blurted, but her boots had already hit the ground and he was too late. He had to hurry to keep up with her longer strides, as she headed toward the end of the queue.

"Oh, yes, there is," she replied. "No stupid little toy plane is getting the best of me!" Vanessa shook her fist – actually _shook __her __fist_, Ferb witnessed, suddenly having to gulp down a whole new mouthful of laughter – at the ride, and railed, "Curse you, Target-Shooting Airplane Ride! You are not getting the best of Vanessa Doofenshmirtz!"

"Vanessa…?" he managed to get her name out, and she glanced at him.

"What?" she snapped.

"I only meant there was no need to get out of the plane. We could have stayed on for another cycle."

Her expression softened as she looked at him. "Really?"

"I do own the place, you know," he pointed out.

"Oh." She looked a little embarrassed for a moment, then said, "That's okay. I need to regroup. And I want a different plane," she glowered, observing as the next squadron took off. Half the pilots on this round were Fireside Girls, and they were bobbing and spinning their planes with the precision of a crack stunt team, picking off targets at will. "This cannot be as hard as I'm making it," Vanessa muttered.

Ferb wasn't certain she wanted his advice at this point, but standing by her side as they both watched the ride, he ventured it all the same. "Don't worry about the targets this time," he spoke to her reassuringly. From the corner of his eye, he saw her nod, and he took the invitation to go on. "Concentrate on controlling your elevation. Once you know how much pressure to apply, it will become second nature. When you're comfortable with that, practice turning with the joystick. Try to keep the plane level for now; you can work on the pitch later. We can stay on for as many cycles as you like," he promised. "Just give a thumbs up when we land if you want another go."

Vanessa nodded again at this, eyes still focused intently on the ride.

"Oh," Ferb said, cautiously, "and it really doesn't matter which plane you have. Unless you have a favorite color," he qualified.

She glanced down at him with a curious little smile and asked, "What's your favorite color?"

Gazing up into her eyes, he decided. "Blue."

They waited through another cycle in order to have their choice of planes, and Vanessa snagged the blue one. Ferb hopped into red behind her. Off they went, and this time she knew what to expect. It didn't take long for her to get the hang of gliding smoothly up and down, but when she started to use the joystick, the blue plane careened wildly, nose tilting upward, then downward, as she spun clockwise and ended up facing him again. Watching her jerk at the stick, Ferb suddenly realized what was wrong. "Vanessa!" he called out, and she looked up at him for a moment before the lurching plane spun toward the tower. With some effort this time, she jogged the stick around until she was facing him again.

"What?" she shouted.

"Turn around," he gestured. "Fly straight and let the cycle finish."

She got herself pointed in the right direction and held the plane steady for the rest of the ride. Again, when they touched down, Ferb leapt swiftly from his cockpit and dashed to her side.

"Well, that went a little better," she cracked sarcastically.

"Come with me," he commanded, offering her his hand in assistance.

"But, you said we could stay on…" she looked at him in confusion, but climbed out under her own power as he interrupted her.

"Quickly," he urged, "before the next group loads." He motioned for her to follow as he jogged around the circle of planes.

"Ferb, where are we going?"

"You need the orange one!" he blurted, as they approached it. He was nearly breathless with both exertion and excitement as he looked up into her puzzled face and declared in triumph: "You're left handed!"

"Yes," she answered, still not comprehending, then her eyes lit on the cockpit of the orange plane, and she understood. "Yes, I am."

"I was wrong, they're not all the same," Ferb was almost blathering as he sprinted to claim the green plane behind her. "Phineas swapped the controls on the orange plane specifically for a left-handed pilot. Try it!"

Vanessa climbed in and took the joystick in her left hand. The air gun was now on her right. She felt better already.

"Go easy," Ferb called to her. "Remember what we talked about."

But there would be no going easy for Vanessa this time. There was still a learning curve to the joystick, even in the correct hand, and she missed more targets than she hit, but at least she had the plane pointing where she wanted it for most of the flight. When they landed this time, she thrust both thumbs in the air and threw a smile over her shoulder at Ferb, who replied with a smile and a thumbs-up of his own. On the next go, he finally started target-shooting from his own plane instead of just watching her, and posted a respectable score. Three cycles later, she had outscored him twice, and finally hopped out of the plane.

"217!" she exclaimed, walking back to meet him as he climbed out. "New High Score!"

"Well done," Ferb saluted her with mock solemnity. "May I offer you a celebratory beverage?" he proposed, as they walked away from the ride.

"I could use a drink of something," Vanessa agreed, fanning herself with one hand, and they headed toward the Refreshment Pavilion.

llllllllllll

Phineas and Isabella had finished their strawberry sodas and polished off a hot fudge sundae between the two of them when, to her delight, he said, "So, Isabella, what would you like to do next?"

"Well," she smiled, "since you asked, I was thinking that maybe we could check out the…"

"Oh, hey!" he interrupted her, his eyes lighting up. "I need to take you on the Carousel!"

"I've already been on the Carousel," she informed him. "Why don't we go to the…"

"Then you've seen it!" he enthused. "What did you think?"

"Well, it's nice, I guess, for a Carousel," she conceded, puzzled by his excitement.

"No, I meant what's _on_ the Carousel," he explained, grinning ear to ear. "I put it on there just for you. So, did you like it?"

"Phineas, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Then you _haven__'__t_ seen it," he deduced.

"Haven't seen _what_?"

"Oh, you'll see!" Phineas gathered up the trash off their table and deposited it in the bin. "Come on!" he invited, reaching out for her hand.

Isabella sighed. Every time she tried to get him to the Enchanted Glade, he came up with some other idea, and then, before she could get mad, he would take her hand and she would melt and follow him anywhere.

Now he led her toward this new distraction, talking all the way. "You're really going to like this; I can't believe you didn't see it." It was just a short stroll around the corner from the Refreshment Pavilion to the Carousel, and, as they approached, he said, "It'll come around in a moment. It's right on the outside row. You really didn't notice it? I guess you must have been on the opposite side. Here it comes!" he pointed.

Isabella gasped in delight. Prancing around the ring of horses was a gleaming white steed, with a pink mane and tail, and a long, golden horn on its forehead.

"It's a Unicorn," Phineas said helpfully. "I know I messed up with that Rainbow-inator thing," he admitted sheepishly, "but now you can finally say you've seen a Unicorn. Well, not a real one," he admitted, "I'm still working on that."

"Oh, Phineas!" Isabella breathed. "It's perfect!" When it was their turn to ride, Phineas led her to the Unicorn, then climbed on the neighboring horse. Isabella beamed even brighter when she saw that he was mounted on a chestnut charger that made him resemble the Centaur-Phineas of her Dreams. Off they went, to the lilting tune of _Gitchee __Gitchee __Goo __means __that __I __Love __You_, and she wasn't sure that even the Enchanted Glade could top this. Isabella would never understand how Phineas could seem so oblivious to her affections, and then turn around and do something so romantic for her.

To Be Continued…


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Part 5 of 7. I've got the whole story finished, I'm just posting in installments instead of all at once. Final 2 Chapters should be up Saturday night/Sunday morning. THANKS for all your reviews and comments. Keep 'em comin'! **

**Side-comment: I was so excited to hear Ferb order "erry-cherb" ice cream in "Ferb Latin." After making cherry the main flavor of his shake in "Milkshakes for Two," and the cherry limeade reference below, I'm glad I apparently made a good choice for Ferb's favorite flavor. (Admittedly, I was initially inspired by the "ice cream and cherry soda" lyric in the "Summer" song from ATSD, but that was Phineas's line.)**

**Now, it's Story Time!**

Ferb knew that, in the grand scheme of things, he hadn't spent all that much time with Vanessa, and doubtless there was still a lot he didn't know about her, but he couldn't help feeling that he was getting to see a side of her that she didn't normally reveal. They sipped cherry limeades at the Refreshment Pavilion, went for another whirl on the Carousel, and took photos at the wooden cutouts (where Vanessa lent her face to a Circus Strongman, and Ferb was a Mermaid). He coaxed her into the Fun House, where they struck silly poses in the distorting mirrors, and made their way through the obstacle course of moving floorboards and rotating barrels. At one point, Vanessa laid hold of him to steady herself, one hand on his shoulder and the other clutching his arm. The unexpected contact made him lose his footing, tumbling both of them to the floor. Vanessa came up giggling like a little girl. When their eyes met, her cheeks flushed pink, and she covered her mouth with one hand, forcing the giggles out through her nose as a snort – which in turn made her avert her eyes from him and blush even more brightly. Ferb thought she had never looked lovelier.

On the Spinning Cups, she begged to go faster, _faster_, as they both pulled hand-over-hand at the wheel. There was another ride on the Airplanes, where she proudly bested her previous high score. She was proving a crack shot with the air gun, a fact Ferb found both admirable and slightly alarming. Coming off the Airplanes, they found themselves walking toward the stairs that led up to the loading station for the Steeplechase. Vanessa paused, watching as the next trio of horses set off, rolling down the dip out of the station that led to the first lift. Ferb could see that she still regarded the horses with some apprehension, but there was a wistful gleam in her eyes, as well.

"Would you like to try it?" he asked, quietly.

"I guess…" she watched the riders ascend the lift. "I mean, it _looks_ fun, but…" She confessed to him, with a rueful expression, "I'm not very good with coasters. Lacey's parents took a group of us on a day trip to World of Thrills last month, and I got hassled into riding the Velocimangler." She recounted this with a shudder and a roll of her eyes. "I thought I was going to die."

"I can assure you, this is not remotely close to being a Velocimangler. I won't force you, though," Ferb promised, in a voice only she could hear. "I won't say another word about it, if you'd rather not."

Three more horses rolled out of the station. On the one nearest them, Candace and Jeremy were riding together, his hands on her waist. Vanessa turned to Ferb and said, "Can we share a horse?"

It was a miracle that he kept his customary calm as he replied, "Certainly. If you wish."

They climbed the stairs to the loading platform, where they found themselves waiting alongside Phineas and Isabella, as well as Stacy. "Ferb!" Stacy exclaimed, as soon as she saw him. "You are a genius! This is the _best __ride __ever_! I've already ridden it, like, a hundred times!"

Phineas laughed and looked at his brother. "I don't think she's kidding."

"Well, okay, maybe not a _hundred_," Stacy corrected herself. "I kind of lost count after sixteen."

A trio of horses, three abreast, slid into the loading zone. Stacy immediately cried out, "I've got red!" and headed for the rail on the left.

"Shall we take the center rail?" Ferb suggested, and Vanessa nodded, breathing deeply and clenching her fists at her sides. "Front or back?" he asked her.

"Oh, you're going in front," she informed him. He helped her get settled and made certain her seat belt was fastened, then got on, himself, and leaned forward to grasp the handlebar that arched over the horse's neck. To their left, Stacy was crouched on her horse, ready to break from the gate. To their right, Phineas sat with Isabella behind him, her arms wrapped around his waist. Ferb didn't really expect Vanessa to hold onto him; there were hand grips attached to the horse for that, but he was acutely aware of her presence, leaning into him slightly, and he could hear the little hum in her throat that said, _Why __did __I __let __you __talk __me __into __this?_

The starting bell rang, and they glided forward. Vanessa gave a little "Aaaa!" as they took the first dip, but it was over almost before the sound had escaped her, and they were on the lift. Stacy was already a couple of feet ahead of them and called out, "Come on, slow pokes!" The top of the lift was the real starting point for the ride, and as they reached it, Ferb heard Vanessa take a deep breath and murmur, "Here we go…"

The mechanical horses coasted through a series of small dips and hills and sweeping turns, meant to simulate an actual race course. Ferb was aware of every gasp and yelp and "Whoa!" coming from behind him, but he assumed that Vanessa would have been screaming bloody murder if she'd truly been frightened. If he had any doubt that she was all right, it was dispelled as they headed toward the second lift. Their horse had come out of the last short turn at a slight advantage, and when they were the first to lock onto the lift, Vanessa let out a, "Yes!" Ferb could hear her muttering, "Come on, come on," as if the horse could actually respond to her coaxing. From the peak of the second lift, they descended through the rest of the course, taking more leaps and turns until reaching the home stretch. Phineas and Isabella were a safe distance behind them, but they were neck and neck with Stacy until the last dip propelled them up into the station, half a length in the lead.

"Whoo!" Vanessa punched the air, then brought her hand down to pat Ferb on the back.

"Great ride, guys!" said Stacy, dismounting.

Phineas and Isabella came gliding in, as well, and Phineas said, "Wow, you beat us by a mile!" They cleared the decks for the next group of riders, and descended the exit stairs together. Phineas and Isabella walked off in one direction, Stacy walked off in the other, and Ferb and Vanessa lingered where they were. "Thanks for talking me into that, Ferb. In fact," she admitted, "I wouldn't mind doing it again."

"Fair enough," he smiled, pleased to see her so happy.

"Can I be in front this time?" she asked, as they climbed the stairs.

"Of course," he said, then politely added, "Or you can have your own horse, if you prefer."

Vanessa answered, without hesitation, "I'd rather ride with you." And Ferb thought his heart would leap right out of his chest.

They took the center rail again. Vanessa mounted first and invited, "Hop on!" Her words struck them both at the same time, as she remarked, "Hey, this is just like Paris all over again." Ferb climbed on behind her, and she said, "Hold on tight!"

_Well, __she __was __the __one __who __brought __up __Paris_, Ferb reasoned, as he boldly took hold of her by the waist.

llllllllllllll

_This __is __just __like __Paris __all __over __again,_ thought Isabella.

"Wow, I'm glad to see Vanessa's having such a good time," Phineas was going on. "I mean, that was pretty brave of Ferb to invite her over here. I know he – you know – _likes_ her, but she's older than Candace, and it's not like she ever hangs out with us. Yeah, there was the trip from Tokyo to Paris, but that was an accident. It must be really hard, asking someone you – you know – _like_, to do something with you, when you're not sure how they're going to react."

"I can't imagine," Isabella cracked, her sarcasm flying right over his adorably untidy red hair. They were walking toward the Spinning Cups again, aggravatingly close to the path that led under the Steeplechase tracks to the Enchanted Glade, and she made one more attempt. "Phineas, you know what I'd really like to do…"

Before she could get any further, Buford came walking toward them, and yelled out, "Hey, Phineas. Nice job on the boat ride. But it shoulda had a flume drop at the end."

Isabella couldn't believe it. "Buford! You've been in the Tunne – Enchanted Glade? _With_ someone?"

"Well, yeah," he answered her with a puzzled frown, then snorted out a laugh at the memory. "I had to practically throw him in the boat; he musta thought I was gonna drown him in there. Heh-heh, that's one high-maintenance nerd I've got."

Her disbelief turned to shock. "You and _Baljeet_? In the Tunne – Enchanted Glade?"

"I know, I know," Buford grumbled. "He's a Speckie and I'm a Finkie, but even he had to admit, the Stumbleberry Finkbat stuff was pretty awesome."

Now her shock was turning to confusion. "_What_ Stumbleberry Finkbat stuff?"

"You know, on the boat ride," said Buford. "The first part's kinda lame, all pink and girly, but then it's like you're in the Vale of the Elf Prince," the tough boy's eyes looked almost dreamy, "with the Pixie Lights, and the Bog Frogs, just like in Stumbleberry Finkbat and the – "

"That's _it!_" Isabella's brow was lowered and her voice was shrill. She turned to Phineas and jabbed a finger at him. "You! Me! Boat Ride! NOW!"

Phineas's eyes were wide with surprise at this outburst. "Whoa, Isabella, calm down! Sure, we can go on the Boat Ride." His face relaxed into a smile as he said, "Gee, all you had to do was ask."

Isabella felt the sudden urge to strangle him. But Phineas was gazing at her with those big dumb eyes and that cute, blithely ignorant grin, and after all, what difference did it really make how they got there, she was finally getting him into the Tunne – Enchanted Glade. And, she had to admit, they'd had a lot of fun on the way.

To Be Continued…


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Part 6 – Well, here's what it's all been leading up to. Hope everyone enjoys.**

Having finished with the Steeplechase, Ferb and Vanessa were strolling back in the direction of the Spinning Cups, when she said, "So, what haven't we done yet?"

There was only one more thing she hadn't tried, but Ferb was hesitant to mention it. As it turned out, he didn't have to. They came upon Jeremy and Candace, emerging from the path to the boat ride. This must have been, at minimum, their third trip through. Seeing him, Jeremy gave a big thumbs up and declared, "Hey, Ferb – awesome job on the Enchanted Glade."

Candace, clinging to Jeremy's arm, emitted a blissful giggle, and cooed, "Yeah."

"What's the Enchanted Glade?" Vanessa inquired, lighting up with curiosity.

"It's this little boat ride," Jeremy pointed back over his shoulder.

"A _wonderful_ boat ride," Candace sighed dreamily, as they wandered past.

Vanessa turned to Ferb. "You have a boat ride? Why didn't you say so? Come on, let's check it out!"

Her eagerness should have thrilled him, but he could tell she didn't really understand what she was getting herself into. When he held back, she threw him a playful look and said, "You're not afraid of water, are you? Don't worry, I'm a good swimmer." She motioned for him to join her, and he gave in. When they emerged on the far side of the Steeplechase track, the building came into full view. Taking it all in, Vanessa's pace slowed. Ferb's stomach was doing flip-flops as he saw the realization come upon her, and she stopped. Hands on her hips, she turned to face him and, with a knowing arch of her eyebrow, said: "Ferrrrrb?"

He knew what that tone meant. It was a tone that said, _You __don__'__t __fool __me, __buster, __I __know __what __you__'__re __up __to __here!_ But there was a twinkle in her eye, and a drily amused smile pulling at one side of her mouth as she said it. It occurred to him that she was probably thinking that this was the entire reason he had invited her over, even though he hadn't invited her at all. Blushing furiously, and reasoning that he had promised only not to tell Phineas, he defended himself. "Actually, it was Isabella's idea."

The rainbows and unicorns on the outside of the ride testified to the truth of this, and Vanessa obviously got the point. In Paris, she had remarked to Ferb on Isabella's obvious crush on his brother, and now she asked, with a sly look, "Did it work?"

Relaxing a bit, Ferb replied frankly, "Oh, I doubt that will work for at least three more years."

llllllllllllll

Inside the Enchanted Glade, Phineas and Isabella sat in their swan boat, floating through a panorama of pink. On either side of them, animated Unicorns gamboled in a pastel colored meadow, while cherubs swung from garlands of roses. A sparkly rainbow arched over the canal, which turned and twisted so that each boat was invisible to the others, giving the illusion that they had the ride all to themselves. It was just as Isabella had imagined it.

"Wow," Phineas shuddered, looking a bit green around the gills, "this is a side of Ferb I've never seen before. I know we're only ten, but I thought he knew more about romance than this. I mean, cupids and pink lace doilies, how cheesy is that?"

Isabella gave a little hiccup of distress, and when Phineas looked at her, she felt her eyes welling up.

"Isabella, are you okay?" he touched her shoulder, concerned.

"No," she choked. "No, I'm not."

Phineas tried to comfort her. "I know you were really looking forward to this, and I'm sorry if it turned out to be kind of... disappointing," he settled on that word. "But I'm sure Ferb meant well…"

"Ferb didn't do this!" she blurted. "I did! He built it because I asked him to. I thought it would be fun, but you just think it's… _cheesy._"

Phineas was stunned; he couldn't remember the last time he had felt so awful. "Isabella – oh, gee, I didn't mean it – I didn't know that you – Oh, man…" he groaned, wishing he had something to bang his head against. She sniffled, and the panic really set in. "No, don't do that…" He anxiously dug in his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, which he held out to her, impulsively putting his arm around her shoulders. "Here. I'm sorry, Isabella," he said, as she took the hanky and wiped her eyes. "It's not cheesy, it's... cute." Phineas struggled for words like a drowning man for a life preserver. "And… fun. Really fun. I mean, just look at…" He gestured around himself, and then paused, taking in their surroundings. As they had progressed through the serpentine turns of the canal, the pink sunlight of the Unicorn Meadow had dimmed to muted shades of dusk. Tiny figures made of twinkling lights flitted along the shore, and large lily pads drifted in the water. "Wow. This really _is_ nice, Isabella," said Phineas, impressed by the effects. "Seriously."

Isabella looked around in amazement, and murmured, "This part isn't mine."

Equally surprised, they turned to face each other. Isabella's eyes, still moist, were sparkling in the artificial starlight, and, as Phineas studied the interesting reflections in them, she smiled. He grew conscious of his arm still around her as she nestled closer to him, and felt himself smiling back at her. With an awkward little chuckle, Phineas remarked, "I guess Ferb knows something about romance after all." And the two of them settled in to admire the wonders of the Enchanted Glade, together.

"You know," Phineas pondered, "Buford was right. A flume drop at the end would totally make this!"

llllllllllll

Ferb felt terribly self-conscious as he followed Vanessa into their swan boat. Where to sit? Not so close to her that she would think he was being forward, but not so far from her that she would think he was rebuffing her. How many inches between them would convey the right mix of Worldly Confidence and Gentlemanly Respect? Ferb was still debating this when the boat moved forward, and he tumbled rather unceremoniously into the seat. Well, he supposed, that was as good a spot as any.

As the canal carried them through the entrance, Vanessa gaped at the display and remarked, "So this is Isabella's idea of romance? No wonder she's having such a hard time with Phineas."

"Well, she is ten," Ferb defended his friend.

"Yeah," Vanessa conceded. "I guess I never was a 'rainbows and unicorns' girl, even when I was that age. I was always the 'Weird One.'" She said this with a mix of pride and sardonic humor and perhaps a dash of pain. Before Ferb could formulate an appropriate answer to this, her attention was caught by something odd amongst the scenery: "Whoa! What's with the Giant Floating Baby Head?"

Ferb had spotted the ubiquitous thing revolving in a corner and said, "I have no idea. It simply keeps turning up."

"Wow. Creepy," Vanessa declared, as if this was a good thing.

Ferb knew the Unicorn Meadow was only the prologue to the main part of the attraction, and kept a curious eye on Vanessa as they made the turn into the Glade, where the shades of evening took over, and the Pixie Lights began to shimmer in the grass. Colored lanterns glowed in the mossy trees, and the low thrum of the Bog Frogs mingled with the lighter notes of the reed harp and wood flute. As they drifted deeper into this dreamland, Vanessa drew in her breath, radiant with both the reflected glow of the lanterns, and her own delight. "Whatever I said about Isabella," she murmured, "I take it all back."

He was still observing her when she turned to look past him at the snowy cranes posed among the marsh grass on the opposite bank, and her eyes were drawn to his. He saw the truth dawn on her, and she said, "This isn't Isabella's – This is _yours_, isn't it?"

He acknowledged it with a blink, and the modest sliver of a smile.

"Oh, Ferb," she sighed, looking all around herself, "this is…" All at once, the rest of the truth came to her: "This is just like the Vale of the Elf Prince from Stumbleberry Finkbat!"

These words seemed to surprise her as much as they did him, and she glanced at him with an awkward shrug of her shoulder. "I mean – well, my Dad took me to one of those movies for my ninth birthday. He-He's kind of a fan," Vanessa tried to excuse away her knowledge.

Ferb replied with a steady, knowing gaze, as if to say that she had nothing to be ashamed of with him, and she confessed, with a little smile, "Actually, I had a pretty big crush on Hymie Silverman."

Vanessa turned her attention back to picking out the details hidden amongst the scenery, while Ferb happily noted her enjoyment. There was an especially lovely lily pad coming up on his side of the boat and, impulsively, Ferb reached out to pluck it for her. Unfortunately, he had done too good a job of anchoring the faux flower to the ride structure, and it refused to come loose. Determined to uproot it, he leaned out of the boat to grasp the stem in both hands. Their swan moved inexorably forward, as he was stretched farther and farther over the water, until Vanessa, feeling the boat sway, suddenly turned and saw what he was doing.

"Ferb!"

He was hanging onto the boat by his toes when he felt her arms wrap around his waist and pull him tight against her, and then the next thing he knew, the boat was tipping over, and he was plowing face first into the water. He heard Vanessa's muffled scream, and a sharp crack, and scrambled to regain his feet.

Vanessa was sitting in the canal, soaked but unharmed, spluttering as she wiped the hair out of her face. Behind her, their swan was lying on its side, its graceful neck fractured and bent at an odd angle. "Ferb, are you all right?"

He stood, dripping water, green hair straggling into his eyes, the lily pad perched at a jaunty angle on his forehead, like one of those ridiculous "fascinator" hats. Vanessa took one look at him, and her eyes went wide in horror. "Oh, no," she murmured, clamping both hands over her mouth. Shaking her head in desperation, she mumbled from behind her hands, "_No!No!No!_" And before Ferb could even begin to guess at what was wrong, Vanessa Doofenshmirtz burst out laughing.

"Baaa-haa-haa-haa-haaaa!" she crowed, unable to stop herself. Her voice went hoarse and husky as it echoed off the water and the walls. "Ghee-hee-hee-hee-hee-Ghaa-ha-ha-ha-haaah!" When Ferb waded toward her, she waved him off and, turning to lean against the capsized boat, buried her face in the crook of her arm, sobbing with the effort to regain control of herself. He waited until she was gasping out a few final snickers, then approached and laid his hand on her shoulder.

"Oh, Ferb," she moaned, in a ragged voice, "I'm sorry you had to hear that." He gave her shoulder a little squeeze of reassurance, but she kept her face hidden. "Of all the things to inherit from my Dad," she snuffled miserably, "I had to end up with his _laugh_. It's horrible!"

"No, it's not," he spoke gently, and she finally turned her face toward him. Ferb reached out and brushed back her sopping hair with his fingers, tucking the lily blossom behind her ear. "It's charming."

To Be Concluded…


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N – The Finale…**

The Pleasure Garden had emptied out as dinner time approached. Vanessa, still squishing in her boots, said goodbye to Ferb at the gate. "Thanks, Ferb. For everything," she fingered the flower still in her hair. "I had a wonderful afternoon."

"As did I," he replied. And with a sudden rush of boldness, he scooped up her hand in his and pressed it to his lips.

Vanessa smiled knowingly at him and said, "You still know how to show a girl a good time." And, with that, she was gone.

Candace and Jeremy lingered outside the house, making plans for their movie date tomorrow, before he kissed her good night and headed home.

Phineas had walked Isabella across the street, and she asked him what he thought they might be doing tomorrow.

"I'm not sure," he said. "But I'll bet Ferb has some good ideas!"

When Phineas returned, he joined his sister and stepbrother in the driveway. "You know, Ferb, I could get used to this 'Old School' business."

"Guys," said Candace, realizing how late it was, "Mom and Dad are going to be home soon. We'd better get the yard cleaned up before they get here. Come on, I'll help you," she offered.

"But, Ferb and I want them to see our Pleasure Garden," Phineas protested.

"No, you don't," she argued. "Look, I know I'm always trying to bust you for doing crazy things, but I don't want you to get busted for this one. I really had fun today," she confessed.

"Well, okay," Phineas considered. "But where do we even start? We don't usually have to clean up, it just takes care of itself."

It was Ferb who thought he heard an odd noise in the back yard, and sensed a brief change in the ambient light. Leaving Candace and Phineas to discuss clean-up options, he turned around and opened the gate.

Their Pleasure Garden had vanished. A ripple of sadness went through him; he really had hoped they could keep this one. Then, he saw something sitting in the grass, under the tree. Walking toward it, Ferb couldn't believe his eyes. The park hadn't vanished – it was still there, just condensed into a space of about two feet by one foot. It was a complete, working miniature, like some elaborate Victorian toy, tiny horses lined up on the Steeplechase rails, tiny airplanes poised to take off, tiny tea cups ready to spin. And, in the canal outside the Enchanted Glade, one tiny swan boat with a broken neck.

Ferb carefully lifted the miniature Pleasure Garden by its foundation, and carried it to the gate. The family station wagon had just turned the corner, and Candace was ranting, "We have to do _something!_" when she saw him come out of the yard. Looking past Ferb to the bare expanse of grass, she gasped, "It's gone!"

"No, it's not!" said Phineas, seeing what Ferb held in his hands. "Ferb, how did you do that?"

"Hi, kids!" Mom called out, as she and Dad got out of the car. "Did you have a nice day?"

"The best!" Phineas answered her. "We built an amusement park in the back yard. Well, it's not an amusement park," he started to correct himself, as Mom approached and saw what Ferb was holding.

"Oh, isn't that the cutest thing! Lawrence, come and see what the kids built today."

Dad walked up and took a look. "I must say, that's remarkable! Look at the tiny horses, darling, isn't that clever?" Examining it more closely, he said, "You know, this reminds me of the old Sniffleton Pleasure Gardens, back home. Well, bring your model inside, boys. It's time for dinner."

"Hungarian Goulash night," Mom tempted them, as they all went into the house.

lllllllllllllll

A platypus-shaped hover-jet zipped through the suburban Danville sky. Agent P looked down and spotted a familiar figure hiking along the sidewalk. He really needed to get back to O.W.C.A. before anyone realized what he had been doing on his day off, but he also felt he owed her a ride home. After all, he was the one responsible for her being in this situation. Descending to street level, he pulled alongside the girl in black with the lily in her hair, and tipped his fedora.

Vanessa looked over in surprise. "Perry the Platypus? What are you doing here? And what are you doing with that?" she questioned, eyeing the evil-looking machine in the back of his vehicle.

Perry chattered impatiently and motioned for her to get into the hover jet. The seat made a wet, squishy noise as she settled into it, and he looked at her with curiosity.

"I went for a swim in the Tunnel of Love," she informed him, then smiled. "It was fun." Looking behind herself, over the seat, she asked again, "Is that Dad's old Shrinkinator Ray?"

Perry shot her a sidelong glance. Technically, it wasn't the old Shrinkinator Ray. It was the one replicated by the scientists at O.W.C.A. – but it served the same purpose. He floored the accelerator and dropped Vanessa off at her mother's house, then turned toward Headquarters. Agent P was fairly certain that he had not been detected, sneaking the Shrinkinator out of the O.W.C.A. lab, but even if he got caught sneaking it back in – Well, Major Monogram never stayed mad at him for long.

lllllllllllll

Later that evening, Phineas and Ferb were tucked in for the night. Phineas was already snoozing, but Ferb was awake. Curled on his side, he was still gazing at the miniature Pleasure Garden that now sat near his bed. _This __truly __was __the __Best __Day __Ever_, thought Ferb, snuggling into the pillow and closing his eyes.

Before he fell asleep, the bedroom door was nudged ajar, and a soft weight jostled the foot of Ferb's mattress. Peeking one eye open, he murmured, "Oh, there you are, Perry."

The platypus curled up at his feet. Ferb knew it was only a trick of the shadows, but before he settled himself again, he could have sworn he saw Perry smile.

**THE END**

**A/N: Thanks again to Mr. Povenmire and Mr. Marsh for giving us these wonderful characters, and so much fuel for the imagination.**

**THANK YOU to the readers who have been egging me on. I had an unbelievable amount of fun writing this one, and feedback is greatly appreciated.**


End file.
